>>>
>>> OFFICIALS REPRESENT ALL DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AROUND
NORTH TEXAS BUT DO THOSE
OFFICIALS TRULY REPRESENT US?
OUR VERIFY TEA OK AT ONE
FORM OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT
HAS COME UNDER FIRE.
HERE'S DAVID.
HERE'S DAVID. >> 70% OF THE SCHOOL STUDENTS
ARE MINORITIES IN THE SCHOOL
DISTRI+@CT.
DISTRI+@CT. THERE'S NEVER BEEN A MINORITY
ON THE SCHOOL BOARD UNTIL DAVID
TYSON.
TYSON.
TYSON. HE
TYSON. HE SAID HE ONLY WON BECAUSE NO
ONE RAN AGAINST HIM.
HE RETIRED IN 2011 AND NOW
SUING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
>> WHAT'S AT THE HEART OF THAT
LAWSUIT?
LAWSUIT?
LAWSUIT? >> IF WE'RE GOING TO LIVE IN A
+@
+@ DIVERSE CITY WE NEED DIVERSE
REPRESENTATION.
REPRESENTATION. THAT'S WHAT MATTERS.
>> WHAT HE DOESN'T LIKE HERE IS
A THING CALLED AT LARGE VOTING.
UNDER THAT SYSTEM INSTEAD OF
HAVING ONE MEMBER REPRESENT ONE
DISTRICT, E+@ACH BOARD MEMBER
+@
DISTRICT, E+@ACH BOARD MEMBER REPRESENTS EVERYBODY.
REPRESENTS EVERYBODY. SO WE'RE GOING TO EXPLORE THIS
QUESTION.
QUESTION.
QUESTION. IS AT LARGE VOTING GOOD
GOVERNMENT?
GOVERNMENT? DAVID AND I HAVE BEEN DRIVING
AROUND THE DISTRICT TO SEE
WHERE THESE TRUSTEES LIVE AND
PUTTING IT ON A MAP.
>> THIS IS LESS THAN A MILE
ISN'T IT.
ISN'T IT.
ISN'T IT. >> IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE TO A
MILE.
MILE.
MILE. >>
MILE. >> WOW, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
>> WE'RE IN THE LAKE HIGH+@LAND
NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE'RE SEEING
THAT THREE OF THE SEVEN
TRUSTEES ARE BUNCHED UPRIGHT
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. THE
HERE. THE OTHER FOUR ARE UP AT TOP OF
THE DISTR+@ICT.
THE DISTR+@ICT. NOW, HERE ARE THE BOUNDARIES OF
THE HIGHEST PERFORMING
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN
RICHARDSON AND THESE ARE THE
LOWEST PERFORMING SCHOOLS.
>> DO THE UNDER PERFORMING
SCHOOLS HAVE BOARD MEMBERS
LIVING NEAR THEM?
>> NONE.
>> NONE.
>> NONE. >> AT LARGE VOTING CONTRIBUTES
TO A GREATER THAN 60%
ACHIEVEMENT GAP TOWARDS THE
+@
ACHIEVEMENT GAP TOWARDS THE WHITE SCHOOLS AND LOWER INCOME
+@WHERE THE MINORITIES GO TO
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. RICHARDSON SETTLED THE LAWSUIT
WITH DAVID AND AGREED TO KEEP
JUST TWO AT-LARGE DISTRICTS AND
DRAW UP FIVE SINGLE MEMBER
DI+@STRICTS.
DI+@STRICTS. TWO OF THEM ARE DRAWN SO A
MINORITY CANDIDATE HAS A FAIR
SHOT AT WINNING.
>> IT GIVES US A BETTER
OPPORTUNITY TO BE ASSURED ALL
THE PEOPLE WITHIN THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT HAVE A RIGHT TO VOTE
AND BE HEARD AT THE TABLE.
>> LET'S GO TO TRANSPARENCY.
FRISCO HAS HAD AT-LARGE VOTING
SINCE 1917 WHEN IT WAS A +@TINY
COUNTRY TOWN.
COUNTRY TOWN. TODAY IT'S KNOWN FOR HUGE
DEVELOPMENT DEALS LIKE LURING
THE DALLAS COWBOYS PRACTICE
FACILITY.
FACILITY.
FACILITY. UNANIMOUS VOTES LIKE THAT ONE
HAPPEN A LOT HERE WHEN IT COMES
TO DEVELOPMENT DEALS, THE
COUNSEL HAS A HISTORY OF
DEBATING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
>> WE'RE RECESSING AN EXECUTIVE
SESSION.
SESSION.
SESSION. >> AND REACHING UNANIMOUS
DECISIONS IN PUBLIC.
>> EVEN THOUGH COUNSEL DOESN'T
HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, IT'S A
DEAL WE'VE ASKED A LOT OF
QUESTIONS ON AND BEEN WORKING
ON.
ON. +@
ON. +@ >>
ON. +@ >> JEFF CHENEY IS THE MAYOR.
>> LOOK AT THE COWBOYS DEAL.
IF THEY WOULD BEEN PUBLISHED. +@
>> THEN JERRY JONES'
DEVELOPMENT COMPANY.
DEVELOPMENT COMPANY. HE PLANS TO BUILD THE FUTURE
HEADQUARTERS OF DR. PEPPER
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION IT WAS
APPROVED 6-0.
APPROVED 6-0. >> 6-0.
>> 6-0.
>> 6-0. >> YOU TALK ABOUT WIN, WIN,
WIN.
WIN.
WIN. I
WIN. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY WINS YOU
CAN STACK ON TOP OF EACH OTHER.
FRISCO SOLD THE LAND FOR 6,000
DOLLARS BUT IT WAS WORTH 2.6
MILLION.
MILLION.
MILLION. ISN'T THAT WORTH A LITTLE
DISCUSSION.
DISCUSSION. >> IT WAS A THEORETICAL VALUE
OF $2.6 MILLION ON A PIECE OF
PROPERTY WE COULDN'T SOLD TO
ANYONE ELSE.
ANYONE ELSE. IT WAS A PARKING LOT FOR
PLAYERS THAT HAD NO TAXABLE
VALUE AND ON TOP OF THAT THEY
PAID US $600,000 FOR THE RIGHT
TO BUILD A SEVEN STO+@RY
BUILDING.
BUILDING.
BUILDING. >> WHY ARE THERE SO MAN+@Y
UNANIMOUS VOTES ON COUNSEL?
>> MY JOB AS MAYOR IS TO BE A
CONSENSUS BUILDER.
CONSENSUS BUILDER. TO ME, GOOD GOVERNMENT IS WHEN
YOU OVERCOME OBJECTIONS AND
CONCERNS OF THOSE ELECTED FOR
+@ THE CITIZENS.
>>>
>>> HI
>>> HI THERE. I'M DAVID.
I'M DAVID. NICE TO MEET YOU.
>> A VOTIN+@G EXPERT AT +@THE
CENTER OF JUSTICE FOR NYU.
HE SAYS WHEN IT COMES TO GOOD
GOVERNMENT, AT-LARGE VOTING IS
NOT THE BEST WAY TO RUN THE
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. >> UNDER AN AT-LARGE SYSTEM,
IT'S POSSIBLE TO HAVE A
SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE
POPULATION BEING ENTIRELY
SIDELINED AND THEIR VIEWS NOT
TO BE REPRESENTED WHATSOEVER.
>> WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE VIEWS
ARE REPRESENTED?
ARE REPRESENTED? >> SOMETIMES YOU GET A LOT OF
DEBATE AND DISAGREEMENT LIKE IN
DALLAS.
DALLAS.
DALLAS. >> I WAS ELECTED TO COVER THE
DISTRICT FOUR.
DISTRICT FOUR. >> THE COMMITTEE HAS GONE
ROGUE.
ROGUE.
ROGUE. >>
ROGUE. >> HERE IT IS AND IT'S NOT
RIGHT.
RIGHT.
RIGHT. >>
RIGHT. >> THAT'S NOT BAD.
>> I'M NOT BADGERING.
>> YES, YOU WERE.
>> DIDN'T YOU SAY IT WAS MY
TURN?
TURN?
TURN? >>
TURN? >> I DID.
>> I DID.
>> I DID. I DID SAY THAT, THAT'S EXACTLY
RIGHT.
RIGHT.
RIGHT. NOW MR. GRIGGS INTERRUPTED YOU
AND I'M DEALING WITH THAT
ISSUE.
ISSUE.
ISSUE. >>
ISSUE. >> I THINK IT'S THE DEMOCRATIC
OUTCOME.
OUTCOME.
OUTCOME. I THINK THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT
OF OUR SYSTEM IS A SYSTEM
THAT'S PREDICATED ON DEBATE A+@
IDEAS COMPETING AND COMPROMISES
BEING REACHED.
BEING REACHED. >> WE NOW KNOW A LO+@T MORE ABO
AT-LARGE VOTING THAN WE EVER
THOUGHT WE WOULD AND WE LEARNED
IT+@'S NOT REPRESENTATIVE.
IT CAN LEAD TO A LACK OF
TRANSPARENCY AND IT CAN LIMIT
+@OPEN DEBATE.
+@OPEN DEBATE. IT'S NOT THAT IT'S BAD ON ITS
FACE BUT AT-LARGE VOTING IS
CERTAINLY NOT THE BE+@ST KIND O
GOVERNMENT THAT WE CAN HAVE.
IF YOU